Of the 25 “Inner NE” intersections that were observed during the 2010 bicycle counts, the NE 12th/Irving intersection had the second highest bicycle traffic volume (nearly 1,750 daily bicycle trips). NE 12th Avenue provides a key link across I-84 for bicyclists, connecting to bike lanes on NE 12th south of Irving, on NE Irving Street and on NE Lloyd Boulevard. The existing roadway on the bridge is 40’ wide. There are currently no dedicated bicycle facilities on the bridge; there are four 10’ motor vehicle travel lanes.

In addition to bicycles, this key link serves a large number of pedestrians, many of whom are Benson High School students. During the a.m. peak hour, approximately 250 pedestrians cross the eastern leg of the NE Lloyd/12th intersection and 400 pedestrians cross the eastern leg of the NE 12th/Irving intersection. During the p.m. peak hour, approximately 150 pedestrian crossings occur at the same two crosswalks. Pedestrian use is typically much higher on the eastern sidewalk of the bridge than on the western sidewalk.

The evolution of the proposal for this project has revolved around significant changes and upgrades to the traffic signals at each end of the bridge and at the NE 13th/Lloyd/Holladay intersections. The premise is that, through these signal changes, the need for motor vehicle storage on the bridge can be reduced to the point where a three-lane cross section (with two left turn pockets in the space of a single center lane) can accommodate traffic just as well as, or better than, the pre-existing traffic signal system. Currently a test of this premise is underway. Initial results are promising.

The hybrid concept proposed for reconfiguration (as shown in the PDF available above) attempts to address a number of issues raised in public comment on the initial concepts.